Ground tilling implement



July 22, 1941. c. OBER I GRQUND TILLING IMPLEMENT Filed March 14,- 1939 I INVENTOR. HOWARD c. OBER 7 JW of the plants.

Patented July 22,1941

I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to garden cultivators and the like, and particularly to a garden cultivator having a prime mover which operates the.

cultivating tool and also drives the cultivator along the surface of the ground.

Hand controlled, power driven, garden cultivators have been-provided heretofore and are available in the market. In general, these cultivators include a platform or frame supported on wheels which are arranged at the front and .rear of the platform or-frame, respectively, the

platform or. frame, in turn, supporting a power unit or engine. The cultivating tool either is suspended from the frame so that it can be lifted and lowered independently of the frame,

or is rigidly aflixed to the frame, and the frame. is arranged to be lifted and lowered bodily with respect to thewheels. Such arrangements require one clutching-mechanism for drivingly connecting and disconnecting the power unit and the tool, and another additional clutching mechanism from drivingly connecting and disconnecting the power unit and the wheels. The clutch mechanisms, in turn, generally are operated by respective hand levers, and an additional hand or foot operated lever mechanism is provided for raising or lowering the tool with respect to the frame and the wheels.

These prior structures have several disadvantages. One disadvantage is that the front wheels prevent movement-of the cultivator forwardly towards the plant to a position which permits the tool to cultivate close to the plant,

moved and caused to operate as closely as desired to the plants .to be cultivated, both when the cultivator is moved forwardly toward the plant and when it plants.

A more specific object is to provide 'a' cultiva-V tor which is propelled along the ground by cooperation of the power driven cutting or tilling tool itself. I

' Another object is to provide a small and ellicient cultivator having the advantages above set forth while eliminating the necessityfor the usual clutching mechanisms and tool hoisting lever mechanisms heretofore employed.

A more specific object is to provide a hand controlled cultivator, having a self-contained power plant, in which the Power plant and tool are supported on a single set of wheels in a man-' ner such that the center of gravity of the mass is positioned closely to the axis of the wheels,

and the tool is substantially coextensive laterally with the outer of the wheels and cultivator as a whole and is positioned so as to project forwardly from the remainder of thecultihand cultivator embodying the principles of the I present invention;

rearwardly from the forward wheels, but also between the outer limits of the wheels, so that when the cultivator is moved along a row of plants, the tool cannot be disposed close to the Furthermore, in the prior structures, it is inconvenient to change the setting of the tool relative to the ground, yet in cultivation of garden plants, it is necessary to raise and lower the tool quickly and frequently during the continuous operation and movement of the cultivator along the row of plants.

' One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide a cultivator which is driven along the ground surface by a self-contained the tool is arranged so that its depth of cultivalustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on a plane indicated by the line 3-3 in Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a detail sectional and elevational view of one of the tool teeth as indicated at 4-4 in Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the apparatus 11 For the purposes of illustration, the present nvention is described hereinafter as embodied in a cultivator having a rotatable hoe tool and having agasoline engine as a prime mover or power umt, its embodiment with other cultivators being readily apparent from the illustrative example.

lteferring to'the drawing, the cultivator com- .prises a carriage or frame, designated generally at I, on which is mounted a gasoline engine 2 or other suitable prime mover, and on which frame is suspended a tool such as rotatable hoe 3, fuel being supplied to ,the engine from a gasoline tankl.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the carriage comprises an upper platform or is moved alongside a row of frame ID, including a reinforcing brace H, which is fixedly secured on suitable depending axle supporting brackets l2. At their lower ends, the brackets l2 are connected to a transverse wheel axle l3 on which is mounted a pair of wheels 14, the wheels preferably having pneumatic tires [5 so as to afford a substantial bearing surface.

The platform I0 is provided with slots extend-. ing forwardly and rearwardly of the platform so as to receive bolts l6 by which the engine 2 may be connected to the platform and adjusted forwardy and rearwardly to the extent required.

Rigidly connected bars I! which extend rearwardly and upwardly to a convenient height for grasping in the hands of an operator.

At the front of the platform are depending rigid supports I8 in which hangers [9 are telescopingly mounted so that the hangers [9 may be adjusted in vertically. In the form illustrated, the supports I8 are preferably tubular as also are the hangers l9. Each of the hangers I9 is provided with a vertically extending row of perforations adapted for registry with the perforations in the associated support l8, a suitable bolt 2|, which is threaded, being passed through the registered openings when the hangers are adjusted to the height desired. By removing the bolt 2! the hangers l9 may be moved downwardly out of the supports l8.

At their lower ends the hangers l9 are provided with bearings 22 in which a shaft 23 is rotatably mounted. A rotatable transverse shaft 24 is mounted on the frame, preferably directly above the shaft 23. The shaft 24 carries a pulley 26 which, through the medium of a belt 21 and a' pulley 28 which is fixed on the motor crank shaft 29, is continuously driven by the engine 2.

Mounted on the shaft 24' for rotation withjthe pulley 26 is a sprocket 3B which, through the medium of a chain 3|, is drivingly connected to a sprocket 32 which is mounted on the shaft 23 for rotation with the shaft 23.

The tool 3 is preferably in the form of three separate sections 33, each of which has a series of hoe or tiller teeth 34 arranged spirally or helically thereon. The teeth of each end section define substantially a complete spiral convolution,

one a right hand spiral or helix and the other left hand spiral or helix, so as to balance end thrust. The teeth on opposite ends of the central section can be arranged in right and left hand spiral relationship as shown.

The teeth 34 of the tool 3 are preferably curved at their outer ends as illustrated so that as they engage the ground they tend to pull the cultivator forwardly and dig themselves into the ground to a greater degree. The shank portions of each tooth 34, for nearly its full length, preferably has a lenticular cross section as indicated at 34a in Fig. 4 and so positioned as to present a cutting edge at 34!) disposed at an angle to the direction of impingement of the tooth with the soil engaged thereby. This angular relationship of cutting edge with reference to the soil increases the efilciency of the teeth in pulverizing the soil.-

End thrust on the mountings for the tools can be further balanced by having the angles of inclination of the major axes of the lenticul-ar sections of approximately half of the teeth directed oppositely with respect to the other half, as illustrated on Fig. 2.

Each of the sections 33 is arranged to be reto the frame ID are handle ceived endwise on and fit snugly on the shaft 23, and each can be connected to the shaft for rotation therewith by means of a set screw 35. One or more of the sections may be used, and they may be positioned where desired along the shaft 23. Generally, however, at least two are used concurrently, their spiral effects being opposite so as not to create an unbalanced side thrust. By using two sections spaced apart, a row of plants can be spanned, and cultivated at both sides concurrently.

In the preferred form, the center of mass of the cultivator is disposed close to the axis of the Wheels I5, there being an overbalance forwardly, however, due principally to the weight of the tool 3 itself and the driving and supporting connections thereof. The motor can be directly over the wheels or back of them to reduce the tendency for the implement to rotate forwardly about the wheels.

Since the handle bars [6 are of considerable length, the depth to which the tool enters into the ground can readily be controlled merely by bearing down upon or lifting the handle bars. Likewise, by holding back on the handle bars, the forward motion of the cultivator can be controlled or arrested, and the tool caused to cultivate more thoroughly at any given locality. By concurrently lifting and holding back on the handle bars, the tool can be caused to dig into the ground to a depth much greater than the length of the teeth themselves. Since the center of gravity of the cultivator is closely above the axis of the wheels l4, the cultivator can be maintained in the normal horizontal position wherein it will cultivate to the normal depth without appreciable effort. I

The operating tool 3 being in advance of any other part of the cultivator, and no front supporting wheels and the like being provided, the

cultivator can be moved forwardly as closely to a plant as desired and proper cultivation effected without danger to the plant.

Likewise, at one side of the cultivator, the only supporting equipment is the single bearing for one end of the shaft 23 and thus the cultivator can be moved alongside and very close to a row of plants to be cultivated, and cultivation effected very close to the plants.

The complete rotary tool 3 is preferably as wide as or wider than the space between the outer limits of the wheels l4. By tilting the platform forwardly, the weight of the cultivator can be thrown onto the tool 3 so as to assist in digging deeply in the ground when it is desired. The

, engagement of the tool 3 with the ground during cultivation causes the forward movement of the cultivator at a rate which would be three or four times normal walking speed if the forward motion were unopposed by the operator, but since the operator normally holds back on the handle bars, I! and reduces forward travel to normal walking speed, a combined slicing and slipping action of the tool results. This action very thoroughly breaks up the ground. As explained, if

greater depth of cultivation is desired, it is only necessary to hold back on the handle bars I1 and assist in tilting the platform or frame ill forwardly. If shallow cultivation is desired, it is only necessary to bear down on the handle bars l6 and limit the depth to which the teeth 34 may enter the ground. At any depth, however, the teeth 34 will draw the cultivator forwardly.

In the case of striking of heavy rock, roots and the like, the downward force of the teeth 34 thereagainst will cause the entire cultivator to tilt toward the operator and he will immediately be aware of the fact by the feel of the handles and thereupon he can tilt -the cultivatoriree of such obstructions without danger of breaking the I tool teeth.

The motor is kept running at all times during operation of the cultivator, and change of depth of cultivation is efiected solely bymovement oi the handle bars l6. I v

The chain 3| can be adjusted for slackness by virtue of the registering openings 28 and bolt 2|. If, however, it is desired to remove the shaft 23 for changing tools or for other reasons, the

hangers l9 may be lifted in the supports l8 and ing a series of generally radially extending teeth each hook-shaped at its Iree end, which teeth are offset from others along and about the mounting, the teeth, or part of them, having shank portions intermediate of the mounting and .free ends, which shank portions are of elongated cross section andwith a cutting edge directed in'skewed relationshlplto the plane of rotation, and the teeth at one side of the lateral midportion of the tool being skewed in a direction opposite from the teeth at the other side of said midportion. s

. 2. In a ground tilting implement, a rotary tilling tool comprising a hub-like mounting having a series of generally radially extending teeth each hook-shaped at its free end, which teeth are offset from others along and about the mounting, the teeth, or part of them, having shank portions intermediate of the mounting and free ends,

which shank portions are of elongated cross section and with a cutting edge directed in skewed relationship to the plane of rotation, and the shanks of the teeth being of lenticular cross section.

HOWARD C. QBER. 

